1. **State the problem:** Simplify the expression $2x - 3(x+1)$. 2. **Use the distributive property:** Multiply $-3$ by each term inside the parentheses: $$-3(x+1) = -3 \times x + (-3) \times 1 = -3x - 3$$ 3. **Rewrite the expression:** $$2x - 3(x+1) = 2x - 3x - 3$$ 4. **Combine like terms:** $$2x - 3x = -x$$ 5. **Final simplified expression:** $$-x - 3$$ This means the original expression simplifies to $-x - 3$.